How is Diabetes Caused ?

By understanding what causes diabetes steps can be taken to overcome it

How is Diabetes Caused ?
Before you can take steps to overcome the condition, it is important to know how is diabetes caused. The causes of diabetes mellitus depends on whether you are referring to type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, type 1 diabetes is not curable at this stage. However, on the other hand, type 2 diabetes may be curable.

Diabetes is characterised by high blood sugar levels

Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and adults under the age of 30. It is caused by a viral infection, which causes the immune system to attack the beta cells of the pancreas. This means that insulin replacement therapy is necessary for survival for the remainder of the person’s life.

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is caused by someone initially having a genetic predisposition towards getting the disease and then engaging in lifestyle habits that induce the condition.

Since environment (lifestyle factors) are the cause of diabetes type 2, the good news is that the condition is reversible by simply engaging in lifestyle activities that oppose the condition.

Here are some of the lifestyle factors that are the major causes of type 2 diabetes:

A diet high in saturated fat
Since in our body is made up of the food we eat, it makes sense that the components of our cells are also composed of what we put into our mouths!

Since all of our cell membranes are made up of both saturated and unsaturated fats (phospholipids), a high intake of saturated fats means that our cell membranes will end up being composed mainly of saturated fats as opposed to having a more balanced composition.

This means of course that our cell membranes are likely to become harder and less permeable. This results in our cell’s insulin sensitivity decreasing and this means less glucose may be transported into the cells. This contributes to type 2 diabetes.

This is a major contributor to how is diabetes caused.

A diet high in high density carbohydrates
Over the last 30+ years so-called ‘health organisations’ have been promoting a high carbohydrate, low fat diet, with the vast majority of the carbohydrates coming from refined sources like, bread, pasta, rice and cereals.

This has arguably been the major contributing factor to the growing incidence of obesity and is likely the primary cause of diabetes type 2 in our society today.

High density carbohydrates are very concentrated sources of carbohydrates. When they are consumed as recommended by dietician, nutritionists and various health organisations (6-11 serves a day!), they result in an enormous influx of glucose into the blood stream.

This rise in blood glucose induces insulin secretion from the pancreas. Insulin’s role is to shuttle the glucose (and other nutrients) into the cells. However, over an extended period of time, the insulin receptors on cell membranes become exhausted and end up shutting down. This means even more insulin is required to force the glucose into the cells.

Eventually the blood glucose starts to rise beyond healthy levels. This is how is diabetes caused.

Deficient in the nutrients required for carbohydrate metabolism
Certain nutrients are required for carbohydrate metabolism and others support insulin in its function. Minerals like chromium, vanadium and selenium are examples. These compounds are known as glucose disposal agents. There are several other herbs are nutrients that act as glucose disposal agents too. These include: gymnema, alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon and fenugreek seed extract.

A diet that lacks glucose disposal agents whether from mineral or herbal sources is likely to lead to insulin resistance and over time, be one of the causes of diabetes mellitus.

A lack of exercise
Exercise involves muscle contractions. Muscle contractions use up energy, which means the cells have a requirement for more fuel. One of the major fuels is carbohydrate and the easiest way the cells can get more carbohydrate is by making the insulin receptors more sensitive to the action of insulin.

Unfortunately, if a person doesn’t exercise then this does not occur and insulin resistance remains, which is course, what causes diabetes.

Being overweight
There is a direct correlation between obesity and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Now, not all overweight or obese people have type 2 diabetes but the likelihood of them getting the disease substantially increases in proportion to their increased bodyweight.

It is hard to say whether it is the excess weight itself or the fact that the person has a diet that is high in saturated fat or refined carbohydrates, that is the cause of the diabetes type 2. Nevertheless, it is certainly one of the major causes of diabetes mellitus.

Despite the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes in our society today, once we know how is diabetes caused, we can then take steps to overcome the condition.

The first step is following the correct nutritional principles for diabetics.

Click here to get the ideal diet for type 2 diabetics

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